


into you

by soleiris



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Music, F/F, Fluff, Original Song, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27108619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soleiris/pseuds/soleiris
Summary: Ever since they met, all of Amity’s thoughts became dedicated songs to Luz.(Luz was supposed to be just another fan. Amity didn’t expect to be hers instead.)
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 32
Kudos: 225





	into you

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone!! for a while i've been dedicating myself to this work and i'm actually pretty happy with the results!! i'm more into writing poetic-ish things so this was a very interesting change in style!!
> 
> this is a take on an idol au, and my main references for the banshees' were k/da, blackpink and red velvet, with a sprinkle of love live's a-rise! with that said, i hope it gets easier to envision what i was aiming for and that you guys can enjoy it!!
> 
> as always, to the luz to my amity, the ruby to my maru: vivi ♡

**i.**

“A concert?”

Idol groups never sparked much of an interest in Luz.

Even if both of her best friends, Willow and Gus, were avid fans of many different groups, Luz herself didn’t particularly understand their appeal.

She was more into soft and soothing tunes, as they helped her relax and focus whenever she needed to study or write, so the catchy choruses and addictive melodies didn’t make many appearances in her playlists, and she wouldn’t look up unless one of them recommended a song.

Lately though, a particular trio became a recurrent subject of their conversations: the Banshees.

While she had seen her friends get excited about other artists before, the craze they got for them was different than what she was used to. That wasn’t a critique, for the contrary - she’d never be able to point fingers, after all, they _had_ to deal with walking down the corridors of their high school days with otter pyjamas on - she just found it unusual, but amusing nevertheless.

The usually mild and collected Willow would spend days of her shift humming to their music, so much to the point that a few rhythms were already familiar to Luz, as if those were Willow’s songs rather than someone else's. She always seemed thrilled whenever they’d release a single or promoted an album, cheering them on in a separate account of social media. It was uncanny considering her personality, but it was overall very cute, and Luz felt glad that she got to enjoy something so much.

Initially, Willow would refuse to listen to the group, not digging much of the “girl posse” theme they had in some of their more popular songs, as it reminded her of things she despised and would rather forget. With time (and a lot of nudging from Gus), Willow found herself warming up to them, as she watched some interviews and saw other aspects of the members rather than only the perception she had from what they promoted. Luz is quite sure the hairpin she wore nowadays was based on a design of one of their album covers.

If Willow, who was the more composed of the three of them, expressed actively the joy she felt in listening to the group, Gus was absolutely _ecstatic_ about them. He was already fond of idols before, but as soon as he became a fan of the Banshees, the first thing he did was to create a blog (and later a forum) so he could build himself a light and fun environment fans would be able to interact with each other. Also, having a position akin to a CEO of the forums felt nice and gave him a sense of importance, which was rewarding by itself. 

He named this space “Hexside” and along with the Banshees’ own rise to stardom, the page became the most popular and resourceful website about the group. Admittedly, it took a lot of work, but it was his biggest achievement. It was similar to the one club he once founded in high school, and it certainly brought memories, but Hexside was a much bigger project than the extinct Illusionism Appreciation Society (before liking idols, he used to be a little obsessed with magic tricks). It was a more thoughtful and refined work, and he could spend days talking about it.

With all of that being said, Luz has a hard time telling them “no” once Gus chimes in one afternoon with an extra ticket to the Banshees’ next concert.

“Come on Luz, _pleeeeease_?” he pleaded, “It’s going to be the best thing you’ll ever see!”

In retrospect, she’d like to say no. This week was a harsh one at work, and she could use the weekend to rest and maybe watch some anime. If she felt up to it, perhaps she would go to Eda’s house to visit, as no place felt more like home than the messy yet cozy residence of her neighbor. Even though she stayed there more than she did in her own house, that would be a needed change of pace from the stress of her everyday routine.

One look into Gus’ eyes though and Luz knew she wouldn’t get away from it. Especially when Willow was asking as well, something she usually didn't do.

Luz really had to revalue the soft spot she had for her friends’ requests.

Sighing and smiling, she nodded, “Okay, you got me. I’ll go.”

They received a few stares from other people as Gus and Willow cheered loudly.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, you never actually heard their songs before, right?” Willow says after a pause, “Maybe you’ll like this one.”

Apparently, it’s their debut song, named “Grom Fright”. It has an eerie, yet cool feeling about it. With the vibe the song shows, “Banshees” doesn’t longer sound as a weird name for an idol group, as they certainly put on a performance that matches the intensity.

“This is actually kinda cool,” she admits.

“You’re going to be amazed when they perform live,” Gus does a happy little dance, “This’ll be so much fun!”

Willow laughs softly as she gives him a thumbs up. Luz looks more closely at the ticket, which has purple and black decorations printed on it, almost halloween-ish, with the name of the group written in bold letters. It’s awfully detailed and she likes it. Perhaps this kind of distraction will be a good way to burn all the build up stress.

That being said, later that day, the song is still echoing in the back of her mind.

During work, she has to restrain herself not to snap her fingers to the beat or drumming her fingers against the table in an attempt to mirror the sound. At home, she finds herself dancing in the kitchen and using spoons as drum sticks. While showering, she belts the chorus lyrics as she imitates a mohawk with shampoo. Before sleeping, when the lights are already out and she’s supposed to be as well, she’s instead quietly beatboxing to the rhythm.

Maybe idols aren’t so bad after all.

**ii.**

Luz is beginning to enjoy the Banshees more than she’d like to give credit for.

Even if she admittedly hasn’t looked up for more songs, as “Grom Fright” stays on repeat in her music player even after days of when she first listened to it, Luz concludes it would be wise to know the basics so she wouldn’t feel so out of place during the concert. A shiver runs down her spine thinking she could give the impression of a _poser_.

She decides she could save herself the trouble of looking up online and instead chooses to get the necessary information about the group straight from specialists.

**[Message to: ☆ the cool kids ☆]**

**luz | hecazura fic on pinned!:** hey, do u guys have a banshees’ playlist or smth? :3c 

**luz | hecazura fic on pinned!:** so i can at least mouth some lyrics of other songs b4 the concert? ^^’

 **Gus FULL ALBUM LOCKDOWN:** I could make a custom one for you!

**[Gus sent a link - “♫ Banshees’ Song Recs ♪”]**

**Gus FULL ALBUM LOCKDOWN:** This one should be a good beginning, you can tell me the ones that you like and the ones that you don’t!

 **luz | hecazura fic on pinned!:** gee thanks! :D

 **❀ willow ❀:** Guys, there’s a Botanical pop quiz right now, wish me luck! (☍﹏⁰) 

**❀ willow ❀:** I’ll help with the custom playlist once I’m done here, see you at lunch! ✿

 **luz | hecazura fic on pinned!:** good luck!! u can do this!! (σ'∀')σ*。・゜+.*

 **Gus FULL ALBUM LOCKDOWN:** Go Willow! (σ'∀')σ*。・゜+.*

 **luz | hecazura fic on pinned!:** oh yeah, can u guys make a quick intro about the group as well? :|

It was supposed to be a nonchalant question, but when she spots Gus speed-walking to the table she’s already at, juggling a laptop, a booklet and a salad in his hand, Luz realizes that maybe she should have searched it up by herself.

“The Banshees aren’t your average idol,” Gus doesn’t even bother to sit down first when the three of them meet up for lunch break, “They’re popular for a reason.”

“Even if their songs are catchy, I think it’s not a mainstream type of it,” Willow hums as she opens her packed lunch and folds the cloth wrapped around it, “I heard they produce everything themselves, from the song to the choreography, so I guess that makes them more approachable.”

“Whoa, that’s really impressive! Are idols supposed to do that?”

“It’s rare, but some do,” Gus explains, “Companies usually take responsibility for that but apparently they’re such perfectionists that they’d rather do everything by themselves.”

“Oh yeah, now that you’ve mentioned it, I didn’t see their videos, just listened to that one song,” she says while munching on her sandwich.

Willow squints, “Are you sure you’ve never seen them before?”

“Not that I remember...” Luz laughs, “But how about you guys show me the one music video you like the most? That’d help!”

After a brief discussion on what should be the first visual impression, Willow and Gus decide to show the music video for “Like Witches”, the song they mutually agree on being their favorite. Gus quickly sends the link to their group chat, and they sit side by side so the three of them can watch together. 

The music video has the setting of a magic castle and the theme already makes Luz’s feet tap under the table in anticipation. To her nerdy nature, witchcraft is one of the coolest things she knows of, and to see such a well-blended production to an idol song is surely interesting. The song itself is really good, a perfect fusion of pop and R&B with an up-tempo twist to it, and she might agree with them that it’s exponentially better than the one she’s been listening nonstop.

Now that she’s paying attention to it, Luz supposes she’s seen the girl with the pink hair and ice-like eyes in a magazine before, and from the looks of it she was also a model aside from being an idol. And she’s quite sure the girl with the grey eyes and fluffy platinum hair starred in a teenage drama series that was popular for a while - she remembers Gus talking about it.

What she can’t place is the one person her eyes automatically focus on: the girl with green hair and golden eyes. Something about her makes her naturally stand out from the others, as if there’s a different aura to her. Her voice also has a magnetic feeling to it. It pulls Luz in, like the song’s lyrics suggest, as if she’s bewitched.

She barely registers her own question, “Who’s that one?”

“That’s Amity,” Willow points to the girl in question, “She’s cool, I guess. She’s like, the bad girl of the group. She’s a fan favorite.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘bad girl’?”

“Uhmn, I think she’s... Edgier than the others? With the dyed hair and black nails thing,” Willow frowns, “I mean, every group has a token something. Skara is supposed to be the baby, princessy girl of the group. Boscha is supposed to be the sassy queen of the pack. I guess that makes Amity the bad girl.”

“Actually, Amity is more like a leader figure than Boscha is,” Gus says, as he struggles to pick an olive with a plastic fork, “You can tell that they both look up to her, but Amity’s cold and distant outlook gets in the way, I guess.”

As the video skips to a dance sequence, Luz also notes that while Amity’s not their best dancer, since the pink-haired girl (Boscha?) puts a surprising amount of effort in her moves, she doesn’t fall back, not in the slightest. Luz doesn’t think she could ever pull off such synchronized and sharp steps.

She’s a true ace, excelling in everything that she does. Even if the fluffy-haired girl (Skara?) is the known actress of the group, Amity conveys a good portrayal of emotions in the acting sequences and also maintains a good expression while dancing, as if each frame of the video shows a different side to her.

The screen fades to black far too quickly, allowing Luz to see Willow and Gus’ hopeful expressions from the reflection of it.

She wonders if they can see her own eyes twinkling in awe.

It’s magical.

**iii.**

Luz thinks she’s gathered enough information about the group to go to the concert.

The idol world was a little too cut-throat to her liking, but Luz was secretly relieved that the group she’s beginning to like is a successful one. They had quite the discography in comparison to other groups, with 5 albums released since their debut. 

Admittedly, while there was an it-factor about them, not all of their songs were right up her alley. Many of them circled around the subject of being a confident, sassy and heartbreaker girl. Confidence wasn’t an issue, but sometimes those had more of a condescending and cocky air to it, which Luz didn’t dig very much.

Despite that, they had many distinct songs that resembled those from the artists that Luz usually liked. Curiously, Amity seemed to be the center of those pieces. Her voice was one that she could recognize anywhere, polished as it was unique.

Amity was able to bring every type of lullaby to life. She knew how to sound sweet as a summer breeze and harsh as a winter blizzard. It made sense why she was a fan favorite, as her talent vouched for her.

It’s incredible.

She arrives at the venue with Willow, since they agreed to meet up as they live closer to each other while Gus went ahead to make a full coverage of the event on his blog. 

On their way to the place, Luz and Willow were checking the forum, gushing about how excited Gus was, about the fans who will attend, as they send pictures of themselves in Banshees’ merchandise; and the ones who won’t, which had a variety of reactions from wailing to wishing the attendees a good experience.

After the gates opened, they rushed to the front and experienced as they were, Willow and Gus knew exactly where to stand so they could achieve the harmony of finding a good view and stand further as they could from the mess in the middle.

“I can’t believe that we’re actually here, the three of us!” Willow says, “I’m really happy.”

“Me too!” Gus smiles, “Thanks for coming, Luz!”

“I should be thanking you guys!” she says as her eyes scan the stage once more, “I’m really looking forward to this, y’know? I feel butterflies in my stomach already and it hasn’t even begun yet.”

“That’s normal,” Willow laughs, “I get those all the time, even right now. No matter how many times I watch, I don’t get tired of it.”

Precisely when the sun begins to set, three spotlight beams point to the stage.

“How is it going, everyone?!”

“It’s starting!” Gus jumps up and down in excitement.

Walking in perfect synchronization, the crowd booms in cheers as Amity, Boscha and Skara march to the front. Seeing they live is completely different from seeing them through music videos and they have an even more powerful energy to them

Although their outfits followed a clear pattern, there was a divergence in each one of them. Upon analyzing them, Luz could understand where the characterization for each member came from.

Skara had a plaid purple skirt with black stripes, along with a glittery black belt that held charms spelling the group’s name. Her hair was styled in puffy twin tails with violet pins in all shapes - a skull, a cauldron, a bat and a pumpkin - which all had a cartoony design to it, which made her look even cuter than normal.

Boscha wore tight purple shorts with high-end satin orchid boots, along with glittering black stockings. Her hair was down and she wore a rhinestoned black tiara, which was new to Luz, as she’d only seen her with it pushed back in a bun. Her makeup consisted of an eyeshadow that had the same shade of her boots, with a small heart drawn under her eye. 

Amity wore a plaid black skirt with shorts underneath, a purple heart garter and glittery single fingerless glove on her right hand. Her hair was styled as usual, with a small ponytail and the rest of it loose. Luz was mildly disappointed she didn’t get to see her with a different hairstyle like the others had, but she supposed it was something already too characteristic of her to change. Her make up consisted of black eyeshadow with mauve glitter.

To uniformize, all of them wore a cropped jacket completely covered in purple sequins. The back part of it had embellished in white sequins their respective names. Underneath the jacket, they all wore simple black tops.

“We’re the Banshees and we’re about to give you the performance of your life,” Boscha announces, “Give it up for ‘True Way’!”

The lights dim for a brief minute before an explosion of flashes hit the stage.

_A true witch never loses her way_

_Even when the moon no longer shines_

_Her path will never lead astray_

_Because she draws her own lines_

_You have to keep fighting_

_There’s only one way to reach the top_

_Your heart can’t stop beating_

_Your rhythm can never stop_

_A true witch never loses her way_

_Even when the moon no longer shines_

_Her path will never lead astray_

_Because she draws her own lines_

_Sometimes it’s hard to stand up_

_Lift your head, show yourself_

_The world awaits your triumph_

  
  


_Take yourself to a new journey_

_Where you make your own rules_

_And if you ever find trouble_

_Trust in yourself and you won’t be lonely_

_A true witch never loses her way_

_Even when the moon no longer shines_

_Her path will never lead astray_

_Because she draws her own lines_

_There’s no finale in your story_

Luz can’t tear her eyes away from them. It’s simply too captivating, and she gets totally into it, even dancing with Willow and Gus to the songs she knows better. 

It’s amazing. The concert has a few stops so they can chat a bit with the public and change their costumes, but every bit is full of entertainment. More than being talented and charming artists, they were excellent to keep the public’s attention, so no momento ever felt dull.

Aside from the group songs, they also had solo stages, where each of them performed a song of their own. While she didn’t recognize the ones that Boscha and Skara sang, Luz was thrilled to see Amity singing one that she liked the most that was featured in the playlist Gus and Willow made to her.

When she least realizes it, the group is already performing the encore as they prepare to wrap up the evening.

“Thank you all for coming!” they say in unison. 

The group comes to the front as they link hands and bow in gratitude. 

As they’re exiting the stage and waving goodbye, something catches Luz’s attention.

She could be wrong, but she’s quite sure Amity is looking directly at her, with a smile far more genuine than the ones she displayed all evening.

Maybe it was nothing more than a coincidence, but she smiles back and hopes Amity saw that amongst the crowd.

It seemed like time stopped just for this fleeting moment, but Luz felt as if there was something special about it, so she cherishes the feeling as she looks one more time to the stage and prepares to leave.

Luz’s heart feels light knowing she had one of the most pleasant nights of her life.

**iv.**

The concert was officially over, but an unforeseen sale of special editions of the album held them back for a while.

What’s more, each copy of said edition would come with a handshake event ticket. That was something the Banshees didn’t do in a while and excited conversation filled the venue once more.

Gus was determined to be the very first (top ten at least) person to get his hands on those albums, blabbering in awe as it was something made completely out of the last minute so he never really saw that coming. Either way, his pride as owner of the greatest portal for the Banshees was at stake, so he definitely wouldn’t allow other pop culture journalists to get ahead of him. He had a reputation to maintain.

Willow and Luz decided to take a break and go get some drinks, as the concert wore them out a little. Willow wasn’t good with crowds, as it was something that tired her tremendously. Luz, on the other hand, wasn’t very familiar with concerts as big as this one, and the event took an unexpected toll on her regardless of how much fun she had.

They left Gus only for roughly ten minutes, but as they returned, though, the once giddy superfan now appeared to be upset, as he kicked a pebble in frustration.

“Hey Gus, what’s wrong?” Willow sat down next to him, handing him a cup, “Did something happen with the tickets for the handshake event?”

“No, they’re here, but...” he sighed after sipping, “This venue will conduct the handshake as a line for each member.”

Luz didn’t understand if that was something to be sad about, “What does that mean?”

“That means that instead of speaking to all of the members at once, he’d need to pick just one of them to get their autograph,” Willow explains, looking a little down herself as well, “It’s a little old fashioned to do, but I suppose since these are special editions, they’d rather have a limited event.”

“I wish there could be two more of me so I could get those,” Gus draws something imaginary with his hand.

“Well, the copy you got for me has a ticket for Skara, would you like me to get her autograph for you?” Willow smiles, “I already have signed copies for their previous albums, so you can have it dedicated for the blog, if you’d like?”

“Would you do that?”

“Of course!” she smiled, “You went through the trouble of getting me a special edition, that’s the least I could do.”

“Willow, you’re the best!” he cries excitedly, “Thank you! All I gotta do now is find one more person that could get the missing autograph.”

Luz barely has time to breathe before Gus throws himself into a hug. That was a particularly low move, as he was already using the one technique he does to get away with everything he wants: the puppy eyes. 

“You said you thought Amity was cool, right?” he remembers, adding another layer of reasoning so he could make his convincing sound better, “Could you get her autograph for me, _please_?”

“I don’t know Gus, won’t that be kinda weird?” she ponders, “I don’t know that much about them to be in this position. Won’t other fans be upset about it?”

“It shouldn’t take long, I promise!” Gus waves his support flags in desperation, “I have to get this one on the blog. It’s for the fandom, Luz. The _fandom_. That’s a noble cause.”

“Alright, alright!” Luz sighs, “You owe me one, ok?”

Gus winks, “Count on it!”

“So, what should I be doing?”

“You go through her line and ask for her autograph on this CD. You can ask her to sign in the name of the Hexside blog,” Gus instructs, suddenly very serious, “You hand the security this ticket that comes together with the CD and they’ll allow you to talk with her for three minutes. It’s more than enough and you can leave earlier if you’d like! Any questions?”

“...Nope?”

“Cool, you guys are the absolute best friends of the world!” he beams and hugs them tightly before he greets fellow fans he recognizes from the forum, “Just meet me and Willow here when you’re done!”

“Gotcha!”

Despite the full house they had for the concert, it didn’t seem like that handshake event was that crowded. Luz had the impression it was something exclusive, that only superfans like Gus got access to, and that made her wonder how far he’d go. It made her wonder how popular Hexside really was.

Her heart began to race against her chest as her turn to get the autograph began to appear closer. What should she say? Wouldn’t she sound like a poser? 

Normally, Luz wouldn’t be this unsure, but for some reason the thought of seeing Amity upclose made her nervous.

“Hello?”

Jolting from her thoughts, Luz finally realizes the timer of her turn was already going out on her. How did this happen? Those first seconds probably made the idol have the strangest first impression of all times.

She knew idols were supposed to be pretty and she knew Amity was stunning, but this was far too much. The purple sequins in her jacket makes it look like she was glowing. It also must be because of the glitter in her eyes and the highlighter, that somehow looks intact on her cheeks despite the fact she had just been singing and dancing. 

All that shimmer was distracting, but what Luz really sees is herself reflected in Amity’s sparking eyes and the way her lips curl into a pleasant and timid smile.

“Hello there, uh, Amity!” Luz laughs awkwardly, unsure if she’s doing the right thing, “Fancy meeting you here?”

“Really?” she muses, twirling a lock of mint hair, “I suppose we perform here often?”

Well. That was unexpected.

The other girl stares at her confusedly and Luz is afraid she got to her nerves, “C-could you sign here for the Hexside Blog, please?”

“Oh, sure,” Amity’s voice sounds somewhat disappointed, but Luz doesn’t quite see why. Her calligraphy flows quickly against the CD cover, and the motion is for some reason very relaxing, “There you go.”

Quickly brushing her fingers against the other girl’s, Luz hopes to make a quick escape, but the unusual freezing touch takes her aback. Upclose, she can see shy roots of brown escaping from her hairstyle, and Luz thinks her natural hair color would suit her face better than green.

“Time’s up,” a security guard marches closer to their table, breaking their trance, “Thank you for coming. Next!”

Luz almost forgets the CD and she thanks and waves goodbye before leaving hurriedly. She almost doesn’t register the way Amity’s eyes glisten a little brighter as she watches her walk away still having a dazed expression in her face.

Once she regroups with Gus and Willow, Luz hands him the signed album. He shouts in delight and pulls his phone as quickly as he can so he can take pictures. Willow comments something, but Luz doesn’t really catch what she says.

She’d like to join their conversation, yet a strange thought stops her to do so.

Would Amity’s hands feel a little warmer if she held onto them for a bit longer?

**v.**

Amity has everything against mornings.

She supposed that, after training so hard to be a musician, she’d spend her days more gloriously.

But since Skara’s snores bothered her all night and Boscha wakes up yelling on the phone with their manager, Amity supposes it’s time to go for a walk.

Coffee isn’t really her favorite morning beverage, since she’d rather drink a cup of tea or go for orange juice, but she supposes she could use something to wake her up and today is not an energetic kind of day. Her body tenses thinking about the horrend taste of it.

It’s been a few days since their latest big concert, of which she was still recovering from. Of course, training could be an exhausting routine, but performing usually drained every drop of stamina she had, so their break was much needed.

She begins to listen to an unfinished song as she walks towards her favorite café. She makes mental notes to work on the parts she doesn’t feel like are complete yet, perfectionist as she is. Feeling the wind against her face does wonders to her creative process.

The thing about being an idol is that freedom isn’t something optional.

Ever since their music videos got more views and their popularity skyrocketed, the members of the Banshees began to get more restrictions until they became almost trapped inside their dormitory when they weren’t working, with ordinary chores such as going to the convenience store near their apartment complex becoming forbidden.

Amity is usually the kind of person that follows every rule religiously. She thinks that she earned her spot in the idol world thanks to the countless hours of effort she placed into her training. It felt powerful, as if she had won a bloody battle. Every day brought a new combat and she prided herself in being a skilled fighter.

Maybe it ran in the family, to be a fearless competitor. Being a Blight meant that she was born on the top, but every wrong step could make her fall from that skyscraper. Her father was a successful movie director, her mother was an awarded actress and her siblings Emira and Edric were worldwide-known illusionists.

Becoming an idol seemed like the only option she had to show that she was just as good as them.

Idols were known to be the pinnacle of perfection. It was exactly what Amity wanted for herself and she wouldn’t rest until that came true.

Proving herself every single day though could be exhausting and there were times she wishes she could be just a normal person. With less expectations, smaller dreams and a calmer life. She wishes she could have lower steps to go through, but at the same time, she was beyond grateful with what she had.

Her greatest fears usually spun around losing what took her so long to conquer.

What Amity couldn’t guess is that a threat could come in the shape of a cute girl, with short dark hair and lovely eyes that held all the wonders of the universe.

Eyes that she got lost into just one of these days and thought she’d never see again.

Right now, she wishes she hadn’t.

“Are you...?”

She _remembered_.

This was supposed to be a safe place for her. How come someone found it? Amity made sure to pick a specific time and day just so she could have this moment to herself. She knew every single customer that came by this hour and she even got friendly enough with the barista that worked at this hour so he could send her a message in case he’d seen anyone out of the ordinary.

But she was there. What did she want?

Amity can feel her heart racing against her chest and she feels the need to get out of that place. Suddenly the café looks too crowded, too _cramped_ , she isn’t feeling her lungs anymore, her face is reddening, shifting to violet and her vision is beginning to fade-

“Whoa, are you okay?” the girl looks worried beyond belief, and Amity tries to focus on how her eyes have the prettiest shade of amber she’s ever seen now that she’s having a very close view on them, “You should sit down.”

The girl offers her a water bottle and the numbness in her fingers almost make it too hard for her to hold it. Amity can feel the cold sweat going down on her back and she knows she’s looking stupid as she has a panic attack, but for some reason the hand supporting her shoulders brings her peace and she can slowly feel her breath recovering.

“I’m sorry,” she finally croaks, with a lot more effort than it should, and she feels absolutely pathetic, “I just haven’t been getting too much sleep lately. What did you want to ask again?”

“Oh, nothing!” the girl laughs awkwardly and Amity thinks she’s conscious enough to think that the sound of it is lovely, “I saw you at a concert the other day. It was really fun, so I thought I’d say hi. Oh, I’m Luz, by the way.”

“I’m Amity, but I guess you knew that already, right?” she takes a deep breath, finally beginning to react to the mess she made, “Sorry for scaring you. That wasn’t really cool of me.”

“Yeah, sources have informed me you’re kind of a ‘bad girl’,” Luz giggles as she gestures with her fingers for emphasis, “But even bad girls need help sometimes, y’know? The baddest of them all taught this to me.”

Had it been anyone else, Amity would have said something to deny that statement. Something about maintaining her image as a Banshees’ member. She’d probably get angry about it. She’d probably want the other person gone from her sight.

Yet right now, as she feels her head getting clearer, she resigns herself to adjust her position on the sofa and wishes her face looks a shade less red than she thinks it is.

“Thank you, you really saved me out there,” she brings herself to smile, hopefully showing she’s doing better enough to no longer need support. It doesn’t seem like she succeeded.

“It’s no problem! I come here often, so we could chat some other day if you’d like?” Luz goes back to the line, “My treat this time, okay? I hope that can make up to you.”

Thinking better about it, Amity has seen Luz before the concert. At the café. 

She’d seen this girl hanging around and she’s quite sure in some place of her mind she stored the information that Luz had a nice laugh when she accidentally overheard a conversation.

Did they never run into each other before? It was so mysterious, yet unlikely. How could Amity remember seeing her and not recognizing it until now if she was a regular customer. It’s been almost four years ever since she moved to this neighborhood. How could she have not seen a person in so long?

She thinks about how her agency would be unsatisfied if they ever saw her hanging out with a fan, but decides not to think about it.

Instead, she focuses more than she should in the warmth of her drink and how Luz’s eyes twinkle like stars.

This could be a problem.

**vi.**

Said “other day” becomes “next week”, which quickly becomes “at least every two weeks”.

Luz and Amity mutually find out they have a lot in common.

They both have the same interest in books, being huge fans of the series “Good Witch Azura”. They also share a similar taste in music, recommending each other their favorite artists and songs. Luz sends Amity her fanfics snippets of the original work she’s currently writing and Amity asks Luz’s opinion on the unfinished songs she has whenever a flash of inspiration dawns upon her.

Luz discovers that Amity is really into sappy romantic movies, the cliché ones that could make anyone in their good senses cringe. Secretly, she’d like to invite her one day to watch a movie, just to see how she would react. Luz finds herself thinking more often than not if Amity would blush sweetly as she sees a particular mushy scene and before she knows it, her mind is filled with thoughts of how Amity smiles brightly when she thinks no one’s looking.

Amity, on the other hand, was marveled on how Luz was the owner of many talents. Writing was Luz’s favorite thing to do by far, and she always spoke about how she wanted to be more than a fanfic author, as she wanted to write and publish her own original story. But that aside, she was also a very skilled seamstress, able to sew anything she’d like to wear that she couldn’t find in a regular store. Luz was also good at drawing, painting, sculpting and many other artistic gifts she spent most of her free time perfecting, which made Amity feel understood, at the same time it made her feel completely awestruck.

All of their conversations fall naturally into something pleasant and even when they can’t see each other, they spend hours of their days talking to each other through text messages. Despite being unable to reply quickly, as Luz gets busy with work and studying and Amity gets away from her phone during rehearsals and recordings, the pace of their conversation is always a consistent melody, never falling out of beat.

The first to realize there might be something different about whatever relationship they had is Amity.

Were they friends? Maybe. Amity liked to think so. She never had the time to make sincere friendships when she was younger. Ever since she knew how to speak, a song was required from her words. Ever since she learned to walk, a camera would be pointed at her so she could dance. The expectations thrown her way made her become socially inept, to the point that every conversation made her rationalize if it was a passerby’s interest or a business opportunity.

Were they more than friends? Hard to tell. Luz always made her feel as if she were the center of the universe, a spotlight aimed at her direction, with everything else fading into the background. It made her feel special, more than any person (or group of, like fans) ever did.

Yet, one the things she loved about her was how she seemed to live as carefree as a bird. Her stories, the friends she had, the tales about working with Willow, the funny misadventures that she had with Gus during their coffee breaks and the many episodes of her hanging out at Eda’s house with her troublemaker dog King were something she always looked forward to.

It felt as if Luz was reading her a book and Amity wanted nothing more than to be part of it.

When this thought first clicked in her mind, she felt scared.

Falling in for someone, in spite of how beautiful it can be, can also be intimidating. It changes a person’s life before their very eyes, and in Amity’s case, a world where things couldn’t be more black and white suddenly became an array of colors and shapes she’s never seen before.

She felt dizzy, unable to concentrate. It was too much information to concentrate. Not even her best façade could save Amity from herself.

It was so rare, from what she knew of every romantic content she’s ever seen, to find someone who could understand her so perfectly and be so interesting at the same time. How someone could be so full of joy and happiness, a ray of sunshine after rain?

Was there any other person in the world like Luz Noceda?

Amity highly doubted that.

After she returns to the dormitory after the Banshees’ last show recording, Amity flops down on her bed. A notification of a message from Luz lights up her phone screen and her heart speeds up and levitates at the same time, even after she sees it’s just a silly cat video.

“What’s wrong with her?” she overhears Boscha and Skara talking behind the door.

“I don’t know, is she okay?”

“She better be,” Boscha huffs, “Amity’s been changed these days.”

Amity agreed. She feels like she’s changing, too. 

This time, for the better.

**vii.**

“It’s called ‘flirting’, Luz.”

“No, it’s called being nice!”

When eventually Luz fails to hide she’s seen Amity out of stage, Willow doesn’t really buy it. She knows Luz wouldn’t lie to her, but the coincidence just sparks something she can’t quite place.

However, what truly matters to Willow now is that it’s precisely when she asks what happened during this encounter that she hears a different tone in Luz’s voice, one she hasn’t picked up in a while.

It’s honestly amusing, considering Luz previous dating experiences haven’t been the best (Willow knows her friend wouldn’t, but _she_ would hurt Nevareth on sight), to see her getting interested in someone else, even if she couldn’t realize that by herself. 

And it’s even better the “someone else” in question is a person Willow admires and would like to know better personally. At the same time...

“I told her we could meet up after my shift,” she shows the message and Willow has to inch a little closer so she can make something out of the crack in Luz’s screen, “There's nothing remotely flirtatious about it.”

“To which you replied with a black heart emoji after she said she’ll meet you there?”

Willow knew Luz was dense, but this was off limits. It almost made her feel sorry for Amity.

“Pshh,” Luz dismisses it, waving her hand as she retreats the phone to her pocket, “That’s cool kid etiquette.”

Willow squints just slightly, “You’re really dense, aren’t you?”

“Oh, come on!” Luz huffs and crosses her arms in disagreement, “All I did was to buy her coffee and comfort her when she was feeling bad. You’re overreacting.”

“Alright, I can give you that, this was actually something nice of you to do,” she nods, “But getting her number isn’t something very subtle, is it?”

“She wasn’t against it!”

“I wouldn’t either if a cute girl flirted with me.”

Luz squeals, “You think I’m cute?!”

“Everyone thinks you’re cute,” Willow sighs and smiles knowingly, still flat-toned as she continues, “Amity included. And you think she’s cute as well. What are you not getting.”

“She never said that?”

“Luz, she sent you a _heart_ emoji. And then a face surrounded by _hearts_ right after you sent one yourself,” she’s almost angry at this point, “You’re getting her hopes up.”

“Maybe she’s friendlier than most people!”

“Didn’t she tell you she had a hard time opening up to people and that was why she was so scared when you saw her?”

“Then she’s friendlier to people she knows!” Luz didn’t understand Willow’s point in the slightest.

“Okay, if you say so...” Willow suppresses a laugh as she thinks of her final straw, “Does she look as cool casually as she does on stage?”

“No, she’s prettier.”

It takes a fraction of a second before Willow runs away to the other side of the store, laughing wholeheartedly as she makes a hurried excuse to tend to some of the plants.

An hour later, Luz still doesn’t get what she’s laughing so much at.

**viii.**

Amity has a hard time convincing herself this isn’t a date.

She’s had her fair share of romantic movies and she tries her best not to place herself in the shoes of a protagonist in the quest for true love.

Because she and Luz are just friends, really good ones at that.

Grumbling against the mirror, she looks at herself one more time before leaving.

Since it’s a cold afternoon, unfit for the season they’re in, she decides to take a different spin on her outfit, wearing a jacket from when she played for her high school team. It’s almost tacky, but the jacket still fits her nicely and the fabric makes her feel warm and secure.

She has a feeling Luz would like it and she takes another deep breath so she won’t be caught blushing before leaving.

Rushing to the door before Boscha and Skara can even think about asking where she’s going, Amity runs down the stairs and takes the elevator on the floor below just so she won’t have to confront them. She already has her mind full of worries for the dat-, no, the _friendly meetup_ at the local library to get stressed with those two.

With a little skip in her step and wearing a face mask so she looks less recognizable, Amity finds herself at the place far earlier than she should. It makes her a little anxious to be waiting outside where people can see her, but she tries to look as inconspicuous as possible. 

“Am I too late?” Luz shouts suddenly and Amity almost falls down from the sudden scare.

“No, I just got here,” she playfully hits her in the arm, “You almost killed me!”

Luz laughs and Amity takes the time to analyze her. Today, Luz has a white scarf wrapped around her neck, along with a blue jacket and white pants. It’s an interesting color contrast to the cherry-red and black ensemble of her outfit, but what sends her to the moon is the adorable white cap with cat ears that she’s wearing.

It’s extremely adorable, but Amity never says that.

Luz, on the other hand, makes it a point to compliment her jacket, “Whoa, did you actually play? That’s such a cool jacket!”

“Thanks,” she laughs shyly, “I used to be team captain at my school. But once training at the company began to get more intense, I had to quit.”

“Aw, that kinda sucks...” Luz frowns, “But you should teach me sometime!”

She tries to dismiss the comment before she can show any embarrassing reactions, “Did you play something as well?”

“Nah, these weak nerd arms couldn’t lift more than a cheerleader pom pom in high school,” Luz’s smile somehow gets brighter once Amity starts giggling, “But I was misunderstood by the cheerleading squad, so I never got to join. Good times though.”

“What do you mean by ‘misunderstood’?”

“The same you mean with ‘bad girl’.”

Amity pouts and Luz starts laughing.

“No, but really!” Luz calms down and actually seems like she’s meaning it, “With the right kind of coaching, I could be an excellent player. Or at least, a decent one.”

“Even though you’re kind of a bully,” Amity says, “Going to school with you seemed like it should have been fun.”

“Don’t be too impressed, but my friends and I don’t call our group chat ‘The Cool Kids’ for no reason.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yep, I mean, isn’t this the raddest thing you’ve ever seen?” Luz points to the cat ears of her cap. 

“Baby class would’ve been _thrilled_.”

This time, it's Luz who pretends to be deeply offended and Amity can’t help but burst out laughing.

A cold breeze distracts them from their playful conversation and Luz shivers a bit from the chill. Deciding they’ve been standing outside for too long, they figure it would be better to browse through the books they’d like to read and drink some coffee.

Luz has the _audacity_ to wink as she holds the door open so Amity can get inside first.

It takes a lot of effort to preserve the rules of the library and not let her heartbeat echo against the halls. That’s not flirting. Right?

Once they reach the session they meant to, Luz climbs a few steps of stairs to catch a book on a higher shelf, even if Amity’s slightly taller than her and thus wouldn’t have to do much more than just tip toe.

It’s really cute and makes Amity wish she was flirting. 

This girl is going to be the death of her.

**ix.**

The crucial characteristic of crushes is that they just don't go away easily.

In retrospect, meeting Luz should come across just as a funny story, the kind she could give an interview about a few years from now and laugh embarrassedly about it.

But the images of the day they first met and the subsequent ones play too vividly in Amity’s head, and there’s more to it than she’s willing to admit.

“What’s that?”

Skara has a terrible habit of meddling when Amity is spacing out and Boscha has an ever worse tendency of picking on the smallest of the nuances in her teammate’s behavior just to piss her off.

“No, wait-”

“A _love_ song?” Boscha analyses the first few lines, “Did we ever go through this one? This is kinda sappy.”

“Wait, really?” Skara gasps in realization, “Aw, I think our Amity has a crush!”

There’s a moment of silence and if looks could kill, the bedroom would have two less people. Breaking the atmosphere, Boscha is the first to burst their awkward stunning.

“Is it a celebrity one?”

“No?”

“Then I’m not interested.”

“Luckily for you, I am!” Skara twirls with the paper in her hand, snatching it back from an already nonchalant Boscha, “Am, you’re such a softie! Do I know her?”

“How do you know it’s-” the other girl smiles mischievously and Amity refrains from finishing the question, “Actually, I don’t want to know, but give it _back_!”

“No way! This is the cutest thing I’ve seen in ages!” she squeals, “I mean, even my boyfriend doesn’t get _that_ romantic!”

Amity couldn’t be redder and as Skara’s eyes pass through the lines (that are legible), she sighs dreamily. Before they know it, the words Amity tried so hard to conceal are being sung in a sweet, clear voice:

_You make it so easy to take my breath away_

_As if I’m made of ice, I melt under your gaze_

_If flowers grew out of my chest, would it be okay?_

_The light in your eyes keeps my heart at bay_

Sinking to her knees in sheer embarrassment, Amity tries to hide her face from their stares.

“It sounded good,” Boscha resigns herself to say.

“Vocal coaching pays off sometimes,” Skara beams proudly.

“I think we could make this look more like a song we could perform than a gushy confession.”

Once, Amity thought that they’d never get along.

All of their interactions felt forced in the beginning. Amity was cold, Boscha was cruel and Skara was lonely. They had nothing in common, if not the fact that all three of them were ambitious. They had dreams and wouldn’t stop until they became reality, even if that meant they had to go through great lengths to tolerate one another.

Together though, they were the Banshees. And as strongly as the name implied, they were a force to be reckoned with. They were unstoppable and that’s what made them strong.

“You guys are soooo emotionally constipated!” Skara rolls her eyes, “Let’s do this! What do you say, Am?”

Finally allowing herself to look at their faces, Amity tries to hide the happiness in her eyes, to no avail.

The three of them were nowhere near perfect. In fact, they needed improvement, one that years of training could never teach, but this precise moment felt good.

Was this the genuine friendship Luz always spoke about?

Amity had been too busy trying to follow her parents and siblings’ road of stardom to ever nurture positive feelings, but maybe there was something to be learnt from that.

Perhaps the companionship she had been looking for was in front of her all the time. She just had to look at it from a different perspective.

Sighing, Amity stood up, but her eyes no longer mirrored embarrassment and self-consciousness. The expression of commitment and dedication resembled the one that Boscha and Skara always looked up to, but never told their leader in spite of their pride. And they wouldn’t dare to, keeping this thought to themselves, but they were happy to see her having so much fun.

“Okay...” Amity concedes.

“Yeah!” Skara cheered and jumped in the middle of them, “Group hug!”

“Skara, wait-”

“Watch out!”

Falling on top of each other, they couldn’t help but bursting in laughter and Amity felt her heart in motion with the amount of good feelings acquired from this single interaction.

Definitely, they had a lot to work on. 

But together, they could do it.

**x.**

While calling herself a fan would be too forward at this point in time, Luz can admit with ease that she enjoys the group more than she did with previous celebrities.

Browsing through Gus’ blog shifted from actually knowing what the group was up to rather than checking out whatever argument he got himself involved with this time. While those were certainly interesting on their own, these days Luz felt more interested in other news.

It’s the only explanation that she has for the loud beating of her heart when Gus arrived with the following information:

“Someone leaked a new song!”

“Seriously?” Willow gasps.

“Yeah, I'm dead serious!” Gus says over excitedly, “They even had to post an image changing the setlist of the album following the descent of the hero's account. May you rest easy, comrade. As President of Hexside Blog and Forums, I will preserve your memory. With that being said, check this out!”

Luz scoots closer to Gus' side so she can have better access to said leaked video. The image is of Amity, with her natural brown hair down, dressed in a pale-pink top and a maroon long skirt. Seeing how her real hair color overlapped the usual mint shade made Luz think on how long it had been since they’ve last seen each other, and her chest aches quietly with the thought. 

She’s sitting on a wooden bench of what looks like a rehearsal studio and with a few strums of the guitar she’s holding, she begins to sing:

_Have you ever noticed the way my heart beats when I’m around you?_

_That’s no average feeling, to be flying among the stars_

_Did you ever realize how my heart synchronizes in the same tune?_

_Being with you makes me forget of these scars_

_I want to be the song that guides you on your way home_

_When all lights are out_

_I want to be the melody that stays with you_

_So please, don’t leave me before dawn_

_You make it so easy to take my breath away_

_As if I’m made of ice, I melt under your gaze_

_If flowers grew out of my chest, would it be okay?_

_The light in your eyes keeps my heart at bay_

_I want to be the song that guides you on your way home_

_When clarity isn’t there_

_I want to be the melody that doesn’t leave you_

_So could you wait for me until the sun sets?_

_I thought I could answer all questions_

_But I guess no one can know it all_

_Could you teach me how to love?_

_So I can spread my wings instead of crawl?_

_I want to be the song that guides you on your way home_

_When all lights are out_

_I want to be the melody that stays with you_

_So please, don’t leave me before dawn_

_Being with you is just so easy_

_I don’t have to fear the dark anymore_

_So if the light of your world ever dimmens_

_I’ll be your moonlight to keep you secure_

The screen turns black and they’re all too stunned to do anything.

“That was...”

“Beautiful...” Luz feels her cheeks reddening.

“I don’t remember seeing such an emotional song from them before,” Willow smiles, “It’s really good.”

“Me neither,” Gus blinks away a few tears, “That was really something.”

“Wasn’t it? It’s something Luz would usually like, right?”

She means to answer, but she finds herself unable to.

Luz’s mind is now spiralling in questions she’s never thought about before. Did Amity always sing this gracefully? Did Amity always look so serene playing the guitar? Did Amity always look so pretty wearing pink?

Amity. Amity. Amity.

Like a pop song stuck to her head, suddenly it’s all Luz can think.

The final nail to the coffin is the one that follows: Would Amity ever write her a song?

Just thinking about it makes her feel dizzy and looking away from the paused screen, she tries to control the dancing rhythm of her heart.

The mere cliché of it was almost laughable, hadn’t it striked her so abruptly.

Luz _loved_ Amity.

“Finally, you realize,” Willow says softly, “Took you long enough. What are you waiting for?”

“What if it’s not me?”

Sighing, Willow rubs her temples in distress, “Gus, coverage of the song’s meaning, please.”

“There are overall eleven references to light, illuminating objects and forms,” Gus proudly announces, “But even a poser could tell this means ‘lesbian songwriting’, Luz.”

Smiling to herself, she plays the song again, and feels her whole body relaxing as she listens to it.

**[Message to: Amity]**

**Luz:** hi! :D when can i see you again?

**xi.**

The team meeting after the video is leaked goes as one could expect: badly.

On their ride back to the dormitory, the car is dead silent. Boscha stares at the window from the passenger's seat, the anger in her eyes kept hidden in her designer glasses.

Skara is mute, nails tapping against her phone, pretending to be replying to messages when she’s just playing a game, as she tries to focus her mind on anything that’s not the awkward situation in the air.

None of them addresses Amity's head hanging low in quiet reflection.

What Boscha is angry about is that they were unnecessarily harsh. What Skara is sad about is that they were too severe on their opinions.

Earlier that morning, the three of them were summoned to an emergency meeting. With coffee cups in their hands in an attempt to clear their heads with some caffeine to make until the end of the session, the girls were chatting happily as they thought it was going to be another discussion about their upcoming full album promotions. 

However, as soon as the door was opened, they were all surprised to see Amity’s rehearsal video playing on the screen.

How did that happen? Where did they get that?

Amity was sure that no one was using the practice room. Skara wasn’t even with her phone that day, as it was under repairs and she had lessons to attend. Boscha was away to film a reality show by herself for the previous two days, so she couldn’t have done it.

It’s when it clicked, Amity did this to herself.

She recorded it to practice later and never sent it to anyone, but while using the camera, her phone must have been unlocked. And she had to rush to the room when she realized almost half an hour later she had forgotten it there.

In this spam of time, anyone could have come in. Anyone that was in the building that day could have used her phone. From the staff to junior trainees, the list of people was endless.

Oh no, oh God, _why_ was this happening?

Her face began to get paler and paler as the president of the company raised his hand and the video paused.

“Before you came here, we saw this,” his assistant began to speak as she pointed to the screen, “It has countless views. We dropped the original one but more replicas showed up.”

“I thought we had an agreement that you would be able to produce your music, but under our surveillance,” the president’s voice boomed against the walls, “This is against your contract, Miss Blight. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“No, sir.”

“Good,” he nodded to his assistant, “Let it be known that this is your final warning. Another slip like that and you’ll have to withdraw from the group. I do not think this is under your best interests, is it?”

Amity’s skirt began to get wrinkled out of the sheer force she displayed while gripping it, “It is not.”

“I believe we’re settled then,” he stood up, “Your manager should be able to conduct the rest of this conference. Have a good day.”

The door slammed shut and Amity didn’t absorb anything else until they were on their way home.

Unable to glue her eyes from the window, she hardly registers the view, instead replaying the events of the day on her mind.

Everything she’s worked for until this point was crumbling before her very eyes. All the years of her childhood and teen years spent locked in a room as she refined her singing, dancing, composing, acting, modeling skills were being mocked by the singular time she strayed from the road.

For some reason, more than heartbreaking, it was delightful.

Finally, Amity felt that all of her struggles were paying off. More than an idol, she now felt as an artist. The idol life wasn’t shallow, even if that’s what most people would say. However, times like these, were she only had to focus her emotions in her music, were the only thing that mattered was who she truly was 

And while the song’s final form wasn’t the one she envisioned, she clutched her hands close to her chest, praying that Luz would like it.

Luz, the only person she wanted to see as of this very moment. Luz, the person who she was missing so badly. Luz, the person Amity was in _love_ with.

Just as she was about to let the negative space of her mind take over with thoughts of insecurity (Would she even see it? Would she even care? Would she even like it?), a notification popped on her phone amongst the several ones she didn’t read.

**[Message from: Luz]**

**Luz:** hi! :D when can i see you again?

 **Amity:** Can it be right now?

 **Luz:** great!! i’m omw to the cafe!! ;)

Was it normal to overthink a winky face?

Amity didn’t have much time to think about that as the doors of the car opened and instead of getting inside the apartment, she ran as fast as her legs could towards the cafe.

“Am, where are you going?!” Skara yelled.

“Let her,” Boscha intervened, “Let’s give her space to do what she has to. In the meantime, we have to hide her absence, so we should be ready for some Penstagram scheming. Get Eileen on the phone.”

Grey eyes twinkled in excitement, “Yes ma’am!”

Far from the eyes that watched her, Amity felt truly free as she sprinted towards the café, laughing along the way.

Being in love was far more gratifying than anything fame could ever give her.

**xii.**

Her heart is already settled with the information, but seeing Amity as she storms inside the cafe, with her hair disheveled, cheeks bright red, looking like she ran a marathon; Luz couldn’t help but feel like she fell a little more for her at that moment.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Amity coughs, “Sorry, I uh... Was in a rush.”

“No worries!” Luz smiles, “Can I get you the usual?”

“That’d be nice.”

“Be right back!”

While waiting, Amity takes the time to fix her hair and curses herself for not doing the logical thing that would be not running in ballet flats. She’s sure her feet will be covered in blisters, but the unreal pace of her heart, still drunk in adrenaline, makes her forget about the pain.

Once Luz returns and sits next to her, Amity’s efforts in hiding her blushing face have to double. She’s beginning to feel grateful that she ran instead of walking, as it can be used as a very convenient excuse to justify.

“So!” Luz does her best, but can’t help but hide her curiosity, “I may or may have not seen a video of a certain someone going all the way with her feelings.”

“Ah, so you’ve seen it already...” Amity tries not to look disappointed at the same time she doesn’t want to let her cheeks flare more and betray her, “I guess that can’t be helped, huh?”

Her hands are shaking, and Luz actually sees it clearly, but Amity is so keen in putting a front, she decides against trying to hold them.

“Nothing,” she smiles awkwardly, “J-Just thought it felt a little personal. You're into someone lately, Blight.”

Both of them can barely register as Amity blurts:

“It's you.”

“Wait, what?”

Amity can already feel the tears going all the way down her face, unable to hide those emotions anymore. “It's you. It's all about you. All the time. This is how you make me feel, Luz.”

In a desperate attempt to make her feelings come across, Amity pulls Luz closer and kisses her.

Luz has to process that Amity just admitted to everything she had been thinking so far. Luz has to process that Amity said she _loves_ her and is _kissing_ her at this very moment.

Her kiss is evidently inexperienced, as Amity's lips tremble against hers. They taste like the remains of cherry-flavored chapstick mixed with the exaggerated cream of her coffee and the tinge of saltiness from tears. It’s honestly the best thing Luz has ever felt.

Today, she looks beyond beautiful, bluntly honest around her arms. It’s breathtaking.

“There's no day that I don't think about you,” they pull apart and Amity balls her hands into fists as she crumples her shirt, “I'm not only ‘into you’, Luz. Because now I love you.”

Luz forces her mind to think about anything to say, but no words come out. It was so different, to think she knew about Amity’s feelings and listen to her talk about them in front of her. 

She’s far too shocked to come up with any coherent sentence and she realizes that she took too long when Amity hangs her head low in embarrassment.

“But of course you wouldn’t feel the same, right? How stupid of me to think that,” Amity chokes a sob, “Forget about everything that just happened, okay? I gotta go. I’m really sorry.”

“Wait, wait, wait, don’t go!” Luz manages to hold onto her wrist before Amity manages to exit the table, “Why would you think that? I didn’t say any of that.”

“But you don’t have to!” more tears come out, “Of course you wouldn’t like me, what’s there to like about me, I took advantage of your kindness and mistook your signs, I shouldn’t have done that-”

Impulsively, Luz crashes her lips against Amity’s, silencing her for the time being. She doesn’t know what to say or what to do other than kiss her and hope every fiber of her body can convey the things she’s unable to say.

“If you keep rushing things like this,” she manages to breathe out, “I won’t be able to say that I love you too.”

“What?”

“I didn’t realize it until I saw you singing,” tears of her own are welling in Luz’s eyes, “But that makes so much sense. I can’t believe that thought took so long to cross my mind. I love you. I love you and I’ll tell you that until you get tired of hearing it.”

Finally smiling, Amity laughs as they embrace tightly again.

Luz doesn’t say it out loud, but yes, she can hear the sound of Amity’s heart now that they’re this close.

It’s the best song she’s ever heard.

**xiii.**

A few weeks later, the Banshees’ full album was finally released.

Even though he had been looking forward to it, Gus isn’t quite sure if he likes the edited version of “Into You”.

It’s a little too still for his taste and far less emotional, losing a lot of its initial appeal. To be fair, he’d actually prefer something catchier, pop-ier, the kind of thing that would be stuck on his head for days. The rest of the album makes up for it with songs that comply to this genre, yet he can’t hide he had high expectations for that one.

He’s sure Willow and Jerbo would agree wholeheartedly with him, while Mattholomule would disagree just to stir chaos in the forum, which was so typical of him. If Gus wasn’t so nice, he’d be banned for a while now. Wisely, Viney and Barcus don’t think too much of it, liking both versions. With some effort though, they could be convinced and it was all that mattered.

Luz’s opinion is the one he doesn’t have to ask. He already knows it, if the way she’s dreamily talking about it is of any indication.

As he ties his bandana with the group’s name on it, Gus wonders if today’s concert will feature this song.

With crossed fingers, he wishes that it does.

(Because Amity’s voice sounded so clear when she’s singing about being in love, as if the whole audience got charmed by the intensity of her feelings.

And when she finds Luz amongst the crowd, she makes sure to put on the best performance she could ever deliver.

To an idol, there’s no greater sensation than making the person you love smile so much because of you.)


End file.
